CHICAGO, Ill. (April 20, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships, the fist-of-its-kind tournament-style mixed martial arts promotion will bring its world-class, nationally-televised brand of MMA to the Lone Star State next month.

The event—which will be broadcast LIVE and in prime time across the country on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and mun2—takes place on Thursday, May 20th at the Verizon Theatre (formerly the Nokia Theatre) in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 23rd at 1 p.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or on the Web at www.Ticketmaster.com.

The event includes a special Bellator Super Fight between reigning Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto and former UFC contender Diego “The Octopus” Saraiva.

“Bellator is thrilled at the opportunity to bring our innovative, nationally televised tournament-style mixed martial arts events to the many millions of passionate MMA fans in Texas,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Joe Soto has established himself as one of the top featherweights in the world and this fight versus Diego should be a war. Additionally, we have two Bellator semifinal tournament bouts in the welterweight division and five other world class fights on this card. It should be a great night.”

Bellator, which became the first MMA promotion in history to be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks during its highly successful first season, announced late last year that it had formed a groundbreaking new TV distribution alliance for its second season that reaches virtually every home in the U.S. Bellator Season 2 began on Thursday, April 8th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Bellator Season 3 begins August 12th. Both seasons run for 12 consecutive weeks.

Bellator has also formed strategic venue alliances with Madison Square Garden, the Cordish Company and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, among others, during 2010. In addition, the company has secured promotional alliances with UB.net and the 100-year-old athletic equipment and apparel company Everlast.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

KANSAS CITY (March 8, 2010) – Tyler Stinson, a 24-year-old native of Winfield, Kan., was the unanimous winner of an open tryout sponsored by Bellator Fighting Championships on Saturday, earning him a chance to fight in Bellator’s upcoming nationally-televised event at the Kansas City Power & Light District on April 29th.

Stinson was one of 72 fighters from as far away as New York, California, Texas and Arizona to travel to Lenexa, Kan., for the tryout, which was judged by Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney and a panel of other top Bellator talent executives. Participants included former veterans of the WEC, IFL and other top promotions.

“The talent level that we saw at this tryout was very solid,” Rebney said. “To have fighters come in on busses, trains and planes from around the country is very humbling. These guys just want a shot and I only wish that we could give that opportunity to every one of them. Our decision was a difficult one, but Tyler separated himself with great grappling and a well-rounded MMA arsenal. I’m looking forward to seeing him fight on April 29th.”

Stinson, though just 24, boasts a professional record of 16-5 in a wide variety of regional promotions across the Midwest and in Florida. Notably, he is one of only two fighters to notch a victory against 17-2 Eric Marriott, a competitor in Bellator’s upcoming eight-man featherweight tournament. Stinson will enter the April 29th Bellator event on a three-fight win-streak with all three wins coming via first round stoppages (armbar, triangle choke and TKO-punches).

“This whole experience was just awesome,” Stinson told reporters after the event. “To hear my name called at the end of the day was just unbelievable. I’m really almost speechless right now. Bellator is just such a great organization and I’m excited for the chance to fight in front of my family and friends in Kansas City.”

The second-place finisher at the event was 27-year-old Leonardo Pecanha, a native of Brazil now fighting out of Omaha, Neb. Pecanha, who boasts a pro record of 11-6, is now being considered by Bellator for an open slot at one of its May events.

The April 29th event is one of four that Bellator will be staging at the highly popular Kansas City Power & Light District. The Power & Light District encompasses multiple square blocks in the heart of Kansas City’s downtown area and features an exciting blend of restaurants, nightlife, and shopping, welcoming in excess of 6 million visitors annually.

Tickets are on sale now at Tickemaster.com, at the Midland Theater box office downtown, and in select Power & Light District venues. Check out www.powerandlightdistrict.com for more information on ticket availability.

Additional Bellator fights will be held at the Kansas City Power & Light District on:

- June 24, 2010 – Bellator XXIV

- August 26, 2010 – Bellator XXVII

- October 14, 2010 – Bellator XXXIV

These and all other Bellator fights during its second and third seasons will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo.

For more information, visit www.bellator.com.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About The Cordish Company

The Cordish Company (www.cordish.com), now in its fourth generation of family ownership, is a multi-billion dollar conglomerate including one of the leading gaming, entertainment and real estate development companies in the United States. The Company has diverse development expertise with divisions focused on Entertainment & Mixed-Use, Gaming & Lodging, Sports Anchored Districts, Shopping & Lifestyle Retail, Office and Residential. The Cordish Company also owns and manages a diverse group of operating businesses, ranging from gaming, restaurants/clubs to live music promotion and film/media distribution. The company values itself on the quality of its operations, its long-term relationships, and high level of integrity in all of its endeavors.

The Cordish Company is the largest and most successful developer of entertainment districts and concepts in the United States. In particular, the company has unparalleled experience in creating and revitalizing high-profile destinations in urban core locations. Many of the Cordish Company’s projects involve public/private partnerships and are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. Prime examples are the company’s prominent role in the redevelopment of Baltimore’s world-famous Inner Harbor; Atlantic City, NJ; Hollywood, FL; Charleston, SC; Houston, TX; Louisville, KY; Tampa, FL, Kansas City, MO; and Towson, MD.

The Cordish Company has received the highest possible national awards in its various areas of expertise. In real estate, the Cordish Company has received an unprecedented seven Urban Land Institute Awards of Excellence.

About the Kansas City Power & Light District

The Kansas City Power & Light District (www.power&lightdistrict.com) is a vibrant, new eight-block neighborhood in the heart of downtown Kansas City that is redefining the City from its skyline to its sidewalks. The District links together the renovated Bartle Hall Convention Center, the new Sprint Center, offices, hotels, entertainment, cultural destinations and residential developments. The $850 million mixed-use District anchors $5 billion of complimentary development efforts in downtown Kansas City. The combination of entertainment, retail, nightlife and residential with the District’s imaginative and innovative design, has revitalized and rejuvenated downtown Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY (March 8, 2010) – Tyler Stinson, a 24-year-old native of Winfield, Kan., was the unanimous winner of an open tryout sponsored by Bellator Fighting Championships on Saturday, earning him a chance to fight in Bellator’s upcoming nationally-televised event at the Kansas City Power & Light District on April 29th.

Stinson was one of 72 fighters from as far away as New York, California, Texas and Arizona to travel to Lenexa, Kan., for the tryout, which was judged by Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney and a panel of other top Bellator talent executives. Participants included former veterans of the WEC, IFL and other top promotions.

“The talent level that we saw at this tryout was very solid,” Rebney said. “To have fighters come in on busses, trains and planes from around the country is very humbling. These guys just want a shot and I only wish that we could give that opportunity to every one of them. Our decision was a difficult one, but Tyler separated himself with great grappling and a well-rounded MMA arsenal. I’m looking forward to seeing him fight on April 29th.”

Stinson, though just 24, boasts a professional record of 16-5 in a wide variety of regional promotions across the Midwest and in Florida. Notably, he is one of only two fighters to notch a victory against 17-2 Eric Marriott, a competitor in Bellator’s upcoming eight-man featherweight tournament. Stinson will enter the April 29th Bellator event on a three-fight win-streak with all three wins coming via first round stoppages (armbar, triangle choke and TKO-punches).

“This whole experience was just awesome,” Stinson told reporters after the event. “To hear my name called at the end of the day was just unbelievable. I’m really almost speechless right now. Bellator is just such a great organization and I’m excited for the chance to fight in front of my family and friends in Kansas City.”

The second-place finisher at the event was 27-year-old Leonardo Pecanha, a native of Brazil now fighting out of Omaha, Neb. Pecanha, who boasts a pro record of 11-6, is now being considered by Bellator for an open slot at one of its May events.

The April 29th event is one of four that Bellator will be staging at the highly popular Kansas City Power & Light District. The Power & Light District encompasses multiple square blocks in the heart of Kansas City’s downtown area and features an exciting blend of restaurants, nightlife, and shopping, welcoming in excess of 6 million visitors annually.

Tickets are on sale now at Tickemaster.com, at the Midland Theater box office downtown, and in select Power & Light District venues. Check out www.powerandlightdistrict.com for more information on ticket availability.

Additional Bellator fights will be held at the Kansas City Power & Light District on:

- June 24, 2010 – Bellator XXIV

- August 26, 2010 – Bellator XXVII

- October 14, 2010 – Bellator XXXIV

These and all other Bellator fights during its second and third seasons will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo.

For more information, visit www.bellator.com.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About The Cordish Company

The Cordish Company (www.cordish.com), now in its fourth generation of family ownership, is a multi-billion dollar conglomerate including one of the leading gaming, entertainment and real estate development companies in the United States. The Company has diverse development expertise with divisions focused on Entertainment & Mixed-Use, Gaming & Lodging, Sports Anchored Districts, Shopping & Lifestyle Retail, Office and Residential. The Cordish Company also owns and manages a diverse group of operating businesses, ranging from gaming, restaurants/clubs to live music promotion and film/media distribution. The company values itself on the quality of its operations, its long-term relationships, and high level of integrity in all of its endeavors.

The Cordish Company is the largest and most successful developer of entertainment districts and concepts in the United States. In particular, the company has unparalleled experience in creating and revitalizing high-profile destinations in urban core locations. Many of the Cordish Company’s projects involve public/private partnerships and are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. Prime examples are the company’s prominent role in the redevelopment of Baltimore’s world-famous Inner Harbor; Atlantic City, NJ; Hollywood, FL; Charleston, SC; Houston, TX; Louisville, KY; Tampa, FL, Kansas City, MO; and Towson, MD.

The Cordish Company has received the highest possible national awards in its various areas of expertise. In real estate, the Cordish Company has received an unprecedented seven Urban Land Institute Awards of Excellence.

About the Kansas City Power & Light District

The Kansas City Power & Light District (www.power&lightdistrict.com) is a vibrant, new eight-block neighborhood in the heart of downtown Kansas City that is redefining the City from its skyline to its sidewalks. The District links together the renovated Bartle Hall Convention Center, the new Sprint Center, offices, hotels, entertainment, cultural destinations and residential developments. The $850 million mixed-use District anchors $5 billion of complimentary development efforts in downtown Kansas City. The combination of entertainment, retail, nightlife and residential with the District’s imaginative and innovative design, has revitalized and rejuvenated downtown Kansas City.

CHICAGO (February 4, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships — a first-of-its-kind mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion airing on FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo — has finalized a groundbreaking agreement to bring four of its high-energy, nationally televised MMA events to the heart of downtown Kansas City in 2010.

Under the terms of the agreement, four Bellator MMA events will be staged at the highly popular Kansas City Power & Light District, which is owned and managed by The Cordish Company, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate known for its tremendously successful development of mixed-use entertainment districts in high-profile destinations throughout the country including Baltimore, Houston, Louisville, Ky., Atlantic City, N.J., Hollywood, Fla., and Charleston, S.C.

The Bellator/Cordish alliance represents the first time The Cordish Company has partnered with a sports organization to host large-scale nationally televised live sports events at any of their state-of-the-art, open-air, mixed-use entertainment venues. The Kansas City Power & Light District encompasses multiple square blocks in the heart of Kansas City’s downtown area and features an exciting blend of restaurants, nightlife, and leading national retail stores, welcoming in excess of 4 million visitors annually.

Dates for the Kansas City events are as follows:

- April 29, 2010 – Bellator XVI

- June 24, 2010 – Bellator XXIV

- August 26, 2010 – Bellator XXVII

- October 14, 2010 – Bellator XXXIV

Bellator and The Cordish Company are also engaged in continued discussions on expanding their alliance to include other Cordish properties throughout the U.S.

“This Cordish Company partnership allows us to create a one-of-a-kind fan experience combining the unparalleled excitement of a live, nationally televised MMA event with the energized, dynamic environment that the Cordish Company’s Kansas City Power & Light District has created,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “If you’ve ever been there, you know that these events are going to be an experience that cannot be missed.”

Said Reed Cordish, vice president of The Cordish Company: “The partnership between Bellator and The Cordish Company represents a brand new approach to nationally televised sports viewing. This is a true marriage of sports and entertainment.”

Each of the four Bellator events being held at Cordish Company properties (as well as the 20 additional Bellator Season 2 and 3 events) will be distributed live in prime time to 92 million homes by FOX Sports Net and its regional sports network affiliates. In addition, top moments from each week’s live events will then be condensed into an action-packed 30-minute highlight show broadcast every successive Saturday night, late night, on NBC. A one-hour Saturday night highlight show will air nationwide in Spanish on Telemundo.

Bellator Fighting Championships’ nationally televised events feature a combination of tournament and non-tournament bouts. There will be four simultaneous tournaments taking place in each season in the featherweight (145 lbs.), lightweight (155 lbs.), welterweight (170 lbs.) and middleweight (185 lbs.) divisions. Winners of this year’s tournaments will be declared No. 1 contenders to Bellator’s current roster of champions.

Ticketing information for the Kansas City events will be announced over the coming weeks.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.